A/HRC/12/26 page 10 Right to life/right to health 21. Shipbreaking activities expose workers to a wide range of workplace activities or conditions which may cause death, permanent or temporary disabilities, injuries, ill-health and occupational diseases. While some kinds of accidents, like falls from elevated surfaces or injuries occurring during metal cutting and disposal, lie outside the scope of his mandate, other hazardous work-related activities are closely linked to the unsafe management or handling of hazardous substances. These include entry into confined, enclosed or other dangerous atmospheres, paint removal, bilge and ballast water removal, oil/fuel removal and tank cleaning. Many accidents are reportedly due to explosions caused by flammable gases not previously freed from the ship tank. The Special Rapporteur notes that most of the medical facilities established on or just outside the shipbreaking yards only provide first aid, but are not equipped to deal with serious accidents. 22. Long-term exposure to hazardous substances and wastes protection may also lead to serious or irreversible work-related diseases, including lung diseases, several forms of cancer and asbestos-related illnesses. Most workers are illiterate, very poor and are not aware of the health and safety risks associated with long-term exposure to these substances. Persons living in residential areas close to the yards also risk developing diseases related to the exposure to toxic and dangerous substances produced during shipbreaking activities. Right to safe and healthy working conditions 23. Health and safety legislation is often not applicable to shipbreaking activities, due to the fact that it is not recognized as an industry in some countries, and this leaves workers in shipbreaking yards in a particularly vulnerable situation. Furthermore, when national labour standards are applicable, they are rarely enforced due to corruption of law enforcement officials and the lack of effective inspection mechanisms. 24. In many shipbreaking yards, workers are not provided with personal protective equipment (PPE), such as skin, eye or lung protection, aimed at ensuring the safe handling of hazardous materials or preventing the inhalation of toxic substances. Appropriate PPE for working in specialized areas, such as respiratory protective equipment for work in conditions where there is a risk of oxygen deficiency, is also generally not available. There is usually no equipment for machine safety, fire safety, chemical safety and water safety, and when such equipment exists, it is poorly maintained. With a few exceptions, the vast majority of workers do not receive any information on the hazards or risks to health and safety, nor do they receive any training on how to minimize risks to health and safety at work. Right to social protection and compensation for work-related accidents or occupational diseases 25. Due to the informal nature of working arrangements, workers are not covered by social protection schemes, and do not receive any benefit in case of injury, sickness, temporary or permanent disability in the case of occupational accidents or diseases. Injured workers or relatives of deceased workers receive hardly any compensation for work-related accidents resulting in fatal injuries or permanent disabilities. When compensation is paid, the amount received is generally much lower than the amount stipulated by the law. In case of accidents,